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Pax8's addition of a new cybersecurity vendor to their portfolio also signals a broadening out of their initial model to provide their partners with more options.

Ryan Walsh, Chief Channel Officer at Pax8

Cloud distributor Pax8 has announced a new partnership, with cybersecurity vendor Webroot. Pax8 will now carry the full suite of Webroot cloud security solutions: SecureAnywhere Business Endpoint Protection; SecureAnywhere DNS Protection; and Security Awareness Training that partners can offer to protect organizations by improving employee security consciousness.

While the addition of Webroot to Pax8’s line card is significant in its own right, it is also significant in demonstrating maturity in the distributor’s business model. From their inception in 2012, Pax8 followed a model common to traditional boutique distributors of focusing on a single vendor in each category and building them up. In the endpoint protection space, they have worked with Symantec for several years – and continue to do so.

“With endpoint security, we picked a horse at the start with Symantec to get our recipe right – to get our method set from pre-sale to quote-to-cash,” said Ryan Walsh, Chief Channel Officer at Pax8. “We wanted to be sure that we got that down correctly before we broadened our line card. We knew that this was something that we would eventually do at some future point.”

Walsh said that the timing, and the choice of Webroot, was dictated by partner interest.

“Partners told us that that they liked our model and wanted us to broaden our line card,” he noted. “Drawing on the theme of our Cloud Wingman partner program, partners told us that ‘if you want to be a good Cloud Wingman to us, give us options and let us put together the technology stack that we want.”

Walsh said that the Webroot option will be most attractive to MSP partners.

“What’s really cool about Webroot is that they have such a strong MSP reputation,” he said. “They were really built with the MSP in mind. They had been successfully delivering consumer products for years, but 5-6 years ago they made a pivot to the commercial and channel market, and really became the industry’s first fully cloud-based Web security company. They built a management console that is ideally suited for the one trusted advisor to manage many clients.” They also have full integration into industry PSA tools.

“We also sell endpoint protection from Symantec, but there is a difference in terms of the stacks where each is a strong fit,” Walsh said. “Partners also identify Symantec as a top right quadrant option, higher than everyone else. We are excited to have both these options. We think that options are good for MSPs, as the fit of a product is determined by their particular customers and the verticals that they support.”

Walsh said that in the less than half a day since the news went live on the Pax8 website, that the response from partners has been strong.

“We have had more activity than I would have expected this early since we updated the Website, including interest from Canadian partners,” he indicated. “Many partners are certainly not taking a ‘wait and see’ attitude with this. We also have some events scheduled that will expose the Webroot product set to our partner community.” That includes a webinar that the two companies will host on Tuesday, March 13th at 11:00 a.m. MST, where they can register here